A three-weeks Senior Investigative Course for officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, selected from the various zones, began on January 14, 2019 at the EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja.

Paddy Kerr, Coordinator, National Crime Agency Anti-Corruption Projects, NCAACP, said the exercise was the outcome of an assessment conducted by National Crime Agency, NCA, which identified skills gaps in the investigative process, such as integrity and process of investigations.

“The NCA is helping the Nigerian government in driving the anti-corruption message against those people that operate at the highest end of corruption,” he said.

He stressed that the training was also to help investigators improve their skills, and “give them the confidence to deal with this type of crime at the level they are expected”.

He further added that the trust between the EFCC and the NCA has resulted in a successful working relationship.

“We trust that we have products that can be beneficial to the EFCC in carrying out its investigations, while on the other hand we trust the EFCC to use these products in an ethical and lawful manner,” he said.

Also speaking, Chris Howarth, trainer, College of Police, CoP, stated that the training topics include: Ethics and Integrity, Investigation Processes and Case Study Analysis. The training would help participants carry out evidence led investigations which would in turn lead to easier prosecution of cases.

“The whole idea is to provide an overview of how the United Kingdom carries out its investigations, maintaining investigations from the onset through to court and prosecution, while also focusing on how investigations are carried out in line with human rights and international best practices,” he said.

He stressed that the overall aim of the training course is to train investigators on how to manage the investigation processes, decision making, and develop the skills in maximizing evidence retrieved during investigations.

The course which is sponsored by the National Crime Agency Anti-corruption Projects, NCAACP, is an initiative of the NCA, and is being conducted by officers of the CoP.



Media & Publicity

14th January, 2019